In Phase I of this project the feasibility of parental screening of hearing of infants in the home was established. However, the need for more definitive and controllable stimuli in conducting the screening was also demonstrated.
The aim of Phase II is to develop and test the use of innovative and inexpensive instruments which can be measured and controlled to desired frequency and intensity specifications. These instruments will consist of an electronic sound generator designed especially for screening infants in the 6-24 month age range; and a mechanical instrument producing a generalized frequency sound to be used for screening babies 0-5 months for detecting hearing loss. These instruments will be validated in a controlled laboratory setting by having parents test infants in home-simulated environment. The lack of early detection in thousands of children in the first years of their developmental skills is a major health problem which this proposed home kit is designed to address. The availability of a well-validated instrument for home screening of the young child will ensure early identification of hearing-impaired children and will provide a world-wide market for the instruments.
